You'll Never Guess What Olympic Soccer Player Julie Johnston Has For Lunch

She should probably defend her plate because her cooking sounds A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

By
Julie Johnston

May 20, 2016

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Soccer star Julie Johnston, 24, is a defender for the National Women's Soccer League's Chicago Red Stars and a 2015 Olympic hopeful on Team USA. Of course she didn't just wake up, lace her cleats, and book a flight to Rio — she literally dedicates her entire life to training and puts a whole lot of effort into filling up on uber-healthy foods to fuel her active lifestyle. To clue you into what makes any ol' soccer player an Olympic champion (🙏 — GL, girl!), here's a look into Julie's diet and exercise regimen during one day of training and one rest day.

DAY 1: TRAINING

Getty Images/ Lauren Ahn

7 a.m.: I wake up around the same time every day. [This morning,] I grabbed the water bottle I always keep beside my bed. (It helps me drink more throughout the day from the get-go — I always feel dehydrated.) Then I lay back down in bed and let the natural light wake me up for a good 15 minutes before I got up.

7:30 a.m.: I love to start my day with a light workout like a walk or a run, or if I'm too sore or it's bad out, I'll at least stretch or go through a fast yoga flow. It starts the day on a positive note. so I'm more inclined to make better choices throughout the day.

I knew I had an intense workout in store for me later in the day, so I went out for a 30-minute walk and grabbed a 12-ounce whole-milk latte while I was out. I love my coffee, and I could not operate without it!

Julie Johnston

8 a.m.: After my walk, I made two fried eggs and a bowl of Special K, with a cup of mangos, handful of pecans, and a cup of almond milk. On training days, I eat a bigger breakfast for extra energy. I try to change up my breakfast routine every week to get a multitude of nutrients and experiment with different healthy foods.

9 a.m.: Off to training with my roommates!

9:45 a.m.: Training began with what we call "movement prep" to get mentally and physically prepared for soccer practice and help prevent injuries. It's a mixture of strength and mobility exercises targeting the main muscle groups. I used the time to focus on my core strength and stability, and I also did some resistance band work plus some functional exercises.

There's an amazing smoothie and juice bar at the fitness center where I train, so I bought a kale, banana, mango, pineapple, apple juice, and cucumber smoothie after my workout.

4 p.m.: When I got back to my apartment, I grabbed a quick snack to hold me over until dinner, which was two slices of avocado toast with goat cheese, chia seeds, and salt. Delicious! Then it was time to do some wedding planning, a new addition to my schedule that I'm really enjoying.

7:30 p.m.: For dinner, I made citrus jerk chicken with a mango salsa, jasmine rice, and spinach salad with cucumbers and tomato. I really love to cook, and I find it really relaxing — until I have to clean all the dishes. The best part: While I ate, I FaceTimed with my fiancé Zach. Training as an Olympic hopeful means I have to be apart from him a lot, which is never easy.

Julie Johnston

9:30 p.m.: Off to bed.

DAY 2: REST DAY

Getty Images / Lauren Ahn

7:30 a.m.: I don't sleep much later than usual on off days, but I lingered in bed on my phone for 30 minutes before I got up to shower. Off days are relaxing for my body but great for mental relaxation too.

11 a.m.: I toured downtown Chicago to get my legs moving and walked off the soreness from the past week of training.

Julie Johnston

I've found that my body reacts best to light recovery workouts on my off days, and my gym is downtown, so I stopped in for a 20-minute swim and finished with 10 minutes of foam rolling, hitting each major muscle group. After the foam rolling, I went into the steam room for 10 minutes. I try to get an equal amount of rest and movement on my off days.

1 p.m.: Back at home for lunch, I made a smoothie with mangos, bananas, peanut butter, milk, and spinach. I also made a bowl of chicken noodle soup because it was cold out today.

2 p.m.: Finally, time to relax! I hopped into bed, lit a vanilla-scented candle, and started watching an episode of The Office.

3:30 p.m.: For a snack, I ate some sliced mangos.

5 p.m.: I got up to do a few chores around the house, like laundry, cleaning my room, washing my dishes.

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